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Brighton Rock (UK, 2010)

Directed by: Rowan Joffe. I was a tremendous fan of this book, and the prospect of a sleek new adaptation full of some of the best British actors around excited me to no end. Amazing turns from Andy Serkis, John Hurt, and Helen Mirren elevate this film from being “just some adaptation” to a really interesting and captivating film in its own right. Admittedly, a lot of my enjoyment from this comes from an intertextual reading: anyone who is familiar with the micro-genre of Joy Division films of the past decade will appreciate the added cool factor of watching the critically acclaimed Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) square off against the critically panned Ian Curtis (Sean Harris). Riley definitely established himself in Control already, and this film is a great move for him. More importantly, it’s a great move for Sean Harris, whose unique facial features and general attitude seems to gain him gravity just by being in front of the camera. Another great perk for me was seeing Andrea Riseborough for the first time. The uncomfortable and awkward yet uniquely sweet romance between Rose and Pinkie from Graham Greene’s novel is just as unique and compelling on film. All in all, this film leaves me anxious for more: anxious to read the novel again, and anxious to see what Riley, Riseborough, Harris, and Mirren do again.